Spring was spreading over the land, but deep within Manara Burrow, a
desperate plan was in the works.

A young Gnoll named Oeru had outgrown the cramped tunnels and, knowing
how unhappy he was, the healer Ilubeth had summoned him to her quarters.
She had a mission for the muscular brute that involved a long journey,
but would not divulge the details until he had found a trustworthy
companion well-versed in geography to accompany him. The burly fellow
found himself wandering south through Granite Hills and Dardanic Plains,
further from his home than he had ever been in his life, without a clue
how to continue.

Fortunately for Oeru, a young Sentinel named Kela An'bhaird happened
upon him. Curious about Ilubeth's strange request, she led Oeru back to
the healer, who shared the unusual story of the Gnoll's origins. Kela
was surprised to learn that the Gnoll were not indigenous to Manara
Burrow, but they came from a frozen valley called Wegava. Many years
ago, however, their chief, Lirthak, convinced nearly all his people to
leave the valley and move south to the warmer lands of the Mingruk,
where they easily subjugated its peaceful inhabitants.

Ilubeth knew that Oeru had grown up living a difficult life in Manara,
and hoped that Kela would be able to take the young Gnoll to Wegava, to
find a home and work with her former teacher, Chena. Before the
expedition could get underway, it was already stalled. Oeru stubbornly
refused to leave his home without his beloved pet beetle, Goobles, who
had strayed beneath the burrow into the fiery caverns of Nuskuwe. He
entrusted Kela with a chunk of precious hematite ore and begged her to
find his pet before they could make the trek into the northern tundra.

With the immediate task weighing upon her shoulders, Kela set off for
the Nuskuwe caverns, braving pyrapedes, fire wyrms, and geysers to find
the special beetle. Upon seeing his favourite snack, Goobles eagerly
followed the Sentinel back to Oeru, and the trio was ready to travel
northward with Oeru's instincts to help guide them.

It was a long and treacherous journey through the frozen tundra, and
Kela's progress was severely slowed by the steep mountains in her path.
When at last they thought they had found the special location,
disappointment overcame Oeru and Kela both. A solid mountain stood in
their way with no sign of a valley in sight. It was not until Goobles
started nibbling upon the large boulders nearby that Kela thought to ask
if the beetle was capable of digging through the rubble.

Oeru was inspired and ordered his precious pet to dig. The rock beetle
went into an enthusiastic frenzy and disappeared into the mountainside
until the rubble finally collapsed before a gaping cavern mouth. The
valley of Wegava had been revealed to the world once more! Oeru and Kela
rushed in, seeking Chena, the healer, and found a cold and suspicious
Gnoll society. Chena warily agreed to keep Oeru as a new apprentice on
the condition that he follow their rules to the letter, and asked Kela
to take a message to Ilubeth.

Kela hurriedly returned to Manara Burrow, only to be greeted by a
frantic Ilubeth. Lirthak had found out about her plan, Ilubeth
explained, and was sending soldiers to confront her at that very moment.
She begged that Kela leave, and tell everyone she knew of Wegava's
existence before it could be buried again.

As Kela departed, Lirthak reached the Gnoll healer and crushed the life
out of her with his bare hands. While Ilubeth wandered the Halls of the
Great Mother in search of salvation, Lirthak casually returned to his
den, his thoughts turning to more important matters. Unfortunately, his
rage had echoed throughout all of Sapience, and adventurers began to
arrive, questioning him about the incident.

After his anger subsided, Lirthak accused Ilubeth of sending one of his
best soldiers-in-training away from Manara. With this information, the
crowd abandoned the interrogation and began their own journeys through
the northern wilderness to explore the rediscovered valley, eager to
experience what the frozen land had to offer.

Penned by My hand on the 20th of Ero, in the year 504 AF.